State Fair of Texas

Went to the State fair the other day. I was amazed that the attendance all day there must have been an all time low. No where near as crowded as I have seen in the past. I routinely go with a group of friends every year.

They fry everything there at the fair. But even the food courts and other vendors quiet. The midway, no lines at the rides. The midway games, the only one making noise were the the ones running the games. Easy to see why Texas is rated one of the most overweight states in the nation.

I didnt try it but they even deep fried Oreos, I just can not see that myself. I did try some of the things there though. I found one that grilled Gator-ka-bobs. They were actually quite good. I found another booth with old fashioned root beer, no caffiene. but the sugar level was enough to put a diabetic into DKA. it was sinfully delicious.

Don't forget to try the FRIED snickers/coke/cheesecake/ice-cream(not sure on this) doh there is more i cant remember... the coke was not really worth it imo so dont waste the money...

But i've been the last 2 years. Maybe its just the first week or so that made it slow. Go during the red river shootout and there are TONS of people...

Kind of expensive for a college student but hey its something you experience... cant complain

Yup...TONS of Sooners...ready to kick the 'Horns back to Austin!

Sep 30, '08

Heard that this year they introduced chicken fried bacon. Fried bacon just doesn't seem right. Maybe they could boost attendance with a Lipitor booth.

Honestly have no interest in going there when the most healthy food alternative is walking around munching on a turkey drumstick. People at work were pulling up the fair's website and describing to me all the stomach churning delicacies I should try out. Sorry, but you couldn't pay me to go there. Guess others feel the same way.

Sep 30, '08

I LOVE the state fair! I always go with the intention of trying out one of every new fried thing they have, but always fail after the second or third thing. I am very much looking forward to the chicken fried bacon. It's a good thing I have very good cholesterol and a high metabolism :-) Sure, the state fair is nothing but unhealthy-ness, but it is so much fun. We can't live every day on salad. At least this girl can't! Plus I love the people watching and going to the petting zoo and looking at the livestock. Only in Texas...

Went to the State fair the other day. I was amazed that the attendance all day there must have been an all time low. No where near as crowded as I have seen in the past. I routinely go with a group of friends every year.

I'm thinking the low fair attendance might be related to the slumping economy. People have less disposable income to spend these days when they must contend with rising costs for food and healthcare, dwindling personal investments, and expensive fuel.

Oct 1, '08

i have lived in texas all my life and never been to the state fair... i am curious about that deep fried coke they make....

Oct 1, '08

I was reading about the deep fried snow balls (those pink cupcake like things). Made me sick just reading about it. However, I can't picture going to a state fair and having a salad. Its the "when in Rome" thing....

i have lived in texas all my life and never been to the state fair... i am curious about that deep fried coke they make....

just like you txspadequeen, i have lived in texas all my life and have never been to the state fair....still wanting to go so bad....not just for the food (am a vegetarian) but also for the thrill of the rides and pictures and maybe some cotton candy and seeing the little piglets race.....just the whole experience.

prices are kind of high, but here is what i have found.

my work (mca) has tickets for $11.50
kroger has them for $12.50 (but you can usually find a $2 off coupon in the sunday paper) which brings the price to $10.50
tuesdays if you bring a dr. pepper can, you get in for $3
wednesdays if you bring 3 canned goods for the food bank, you get in for $1
thursdays bring a 20 oz coke bottle, you get in for $4

so yes....i will definately plan to go during the week when its cheaper to get in and hopefully less crowded than during the weekends!

jadu1106 :heartbeat

Oct 2, '08

I want to go to state fair.

Oct 3, '08

"Honestly have no interest in going there when the most healthy food alternative is walking around munching on a turkey drumstick. People at work were pulling up the fair's website and describing to me all the stomach churning delicacies I should try out. Sorry, but you couldn't pay me to go there. Guess others feel the same way."

You don't actually have to buy or consume any of the food there. You could go for the sake of enjoying the sights, sounds, and a day spent with family/friends.

Easy to see why Texas is rated one of the most overweight states in the nation.

Seriously? There are reasons why Texas is overweight (everyone driving everywhere and not being able to walk, for one), but you can't use the fair as a measuring stick. It's not like other state fairs are serving tofu and cucumber smoothies. :chuckle

I also think attendance is down because of the economy. Even though Texas' economy seems to be more stable right now than many other parts of the country, people are scared of what's going to happen. No one is looking to buy a hottub when their 401K is so shakey.

Oct 4, '08

I just bought solar water heating for my pool and hot tub. Absolutely wonderful.

The healthiest food I saw at the state fair was the pickles. Everything alse was drenched in deep fry oil. At least though someone can take that and turn it into biodiesel fuel